Palio Caffe - UCSF

Reviews

• Dacoda B.

  star star star star star_border 2 June 2026

  Decent food and fast service. If you're looking for something a bit more fresh and healthy this cafe is a nice choice. There are the typical options nearby (panda express, jamba juice, etc) but this cafe has seemingly homemade options that will remind you of a nice trip to good ol' ma's house. Fresh salad options and a variety of soups, in addition to multiple selection of panini and sandwiches. The salad I ordered was so fresh it still had a live aphid in it...lol. I didn't particularly like that, but what can you do. The view is also pretty nice if you decide to eat inside.

• Joanna M.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 29 May 2026

  If you work on UC campus you know that the options start to get repetitive. Palio Caffe has the best location of any of the food options, they have an outdoor patio that overlooks the city with golden gate views on a clear day, if a non UC person is coming to visit you a lunch its definitely a Caffe you can use to show off the campus (as long as Karl the Fog) is out of your way. The food is also yummy, its an Italian Caffe so lots of paninis and mixed salads and soups.
  
  The reasons I don't go to Palio as often as you would think with great food and great views is because the price is way to high, the wait can be long and the service is way to low. A half sandwich can set you back $8, and for that price I at least want a full. If you asked to get it warmed up expect to wait a while. Not just that the staff is never friendly and often come off as rude, which is not what you want to feel after spending upwards of $12.00 for a half sandwich and a drink. When I first starting working at UC I would come here often for lunch for the views but after a while I noticed I was leaving disappointed, with not much time to enjoy my food and I feel that its overpaying when there are much more affordable options nearby.

• Sunil R.

  star star star star star_border 25 May 2026

  This is in the UCSF hospital. I got the hot choc with soy. They have sushi and some other food items as well from the main cafeteria as well.

• Christine L.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 19 May 2026

  I grabbed a soy latte this morning that honestly tastes like water with a splash of soy. Their drink menu suggests that beverages come in normale, doppio, grande, and gigante; I ordered a doppio and they looked at me like I was crazy. I'm simply using your menu terminology! My bad for not being a coffee pro.
  
  The food looks good but is on the pricey side. Who can resist pasta salad + gelato? There often seems to be a disorganized line as well. If you do manage to snag a seat here, enjoy the view!

• Jaime F.

  star star star star_border star_border 18 May 2026

  This is a place for a quick bite around the Medical Center. Unfortunately, it is overpriced for what you get. I usually had the Quattro, which has smoked salmon, cream cheese, and tomato. The smoked salmon was good, but overall it is not worth the $7. They have other pretty good pasta salad, sandwich options, and gelato. It's a good deviation from other options in the immediate area. A plus is that they have the Yelp cash back bonus available!